Pension Attention

Have you inherited your parents’ money problems? Let me tell you a quick story: 

The Dutch suffered through a famine towards the end of World War II after Nazis cut off their food and fuel. They had to survive on one loaf of bread and five potatoes per week. 

Researchers studied what this did to children conceived during the famine.  

Their results? 

Across the board, these children were more prone to diseases, obesity, and financial woes for their entire lives. 

Here’s why I bring it up: 

Our lives aren’t as difficult as these children’s lives were. But the stress of being in their malnourished mothers’ wombs tormented them for their entire lives. 

A recent study from Capital One CreditWise found that 73% of Americans rank their finances as their most significant source of stress. And the Dutch famine research proves that stress sabotages every aspect of your life and can steal your wealth. 

In this episode, I’m revealing 7 ways to reduce your financial stress so you can live a happier, healthier, and wealthier life. Listen now! 

Show Highlights Include:

• The sneaky way stress burrows into your life to cause dire health and financial problems decades later (6:54) 
• The weird way Netflix pumping out more TV shows sucks your bank account dry (8:15) 
• Why an unhealthy relationship with money suffocates you with stress (9:14) 
• 7 scientifically proven ways to reduce your stress (and how reducing your stress makes you wealthier) (11:31) 
• Why regular exercise can be even more profitable than looking at your portfolio (12:23) 

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

An investment advisor is a lot like a mechanic. They help you diagnose any problems in your portfolio and recommend the best action to take. 

If an investment advisor is like a mechanic, then our economy is like a car with a broken windshield and chipped paint. But the engine still works as good as it ever did. 

In this episode, I’m sharing some of the key economic indicators. And how understanding these indicators reduces your stress and anxiety about the future.  Listen to the episode now. 

Show Highlights Include:

• The top 3 economic indicators that help you understand where our economy stands (even if you’re not an economist) (4:23) 
• Why longer period loans aren’t as affected by the Federal Reserve as shorter term loans (9:42) 
• 2 ways you can get higher yields from your bonds (10:24) 
• How understanding economic indicators calms your anxiety and fear for the future (18:44) 
• Why the economy is like a beat up car right now (and why you shouldn’t worry about it) (18:58) 

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

Getting more conservative with your investments as you age is a rule of thumb. But it doesn’t always make sense — especially when interest rates are historically low. 

How can you properly plan for your retirement when “common knowledge” can wreck all your retirement plans?

In this episode, I’m revealing a new way to approach your investment strategy so you don't have to worry about running out of money in retirement. 

Show Highlights Include:

• Why getting “safer” with your investment strategy as you age could cost you money (2:28) 
• How a deferred comp plan drives you to a happy and healthy retirement (3:36) 
• Why historically low interest rates steal your wealth if you follow the “age equals bond percentage” method (10:20) 
• The “20 Year Adaptation Strategy” that prevents you from bankrupting your retirement (16:55) 
• How to turn your financial weaknesses into cold, hard cash (20:38) 

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

Biden’s proposing to raise taxes soon. How worried should you be? 

It’s not all bad news (even if you want to keep your hard-earned money for yourself). 

In this episode, I’m revealing 3 reasons why you shouldn’t sweat Biden’s tax hikes. 

Show Highlights Include:

• How bears’ hibernation habits help you not fret about our current inflation (2:57) 
• Why inflation rates are the highest they’ve been since the USSR collapsed (and why you shouldn’t worry about it) (5:01) 
• Worried about inflation? Here’s why the Federal Reserve chair thinks it’ll wane over time (even if it lasts longer than predicted) (7:04) 
• The counterintuitive reason to celebrate Biden’s tax hike (9:59) 

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

Drawing from the wrong retirement accounts first can spike your tax bill, wreck your legacy assets, and make your retirement less fulfilling. 

And the opposite is true: 

Drawing from the right accounts first lowers your tax bills, builds your legacy, and pays for exotic vacations with your family. 

So how do you know which accounts you should draw from first? 

In this episode, I’m revealing which accounts are the best to draw from first and ways to protect your retirement from Uncle Sam’s greedy fingers. 

Show Highlights Include:

• How pulling money from the wrong retirement accounts skyrockets your tax bill (3:15) 
• Why following conventional retirement wisdom can sabotage your retirement plans (6:21) 
• How to maximize your earnings in the 12% tax bracket before it shoots up to 22% (11:45) 
• The counterintuitive way making less in your retirement accounts makes your children rich (15:35)

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

What we hear about the economy changes on a minute-by-minute basis. And it’s hard to separate fact from fiction when everyone is saying something different.  

Retirement, even in the best economy, is a huge transition. You don’t want to dip into emergency funds or drain your assets over bad market advice. 

Breaking down the information you receive is the first step in smart investing.  

In this episode, you’ll discover how to protect your plan from the wrong words and thrive in any economy. 

Show Highlights Include:

• How to avoid manipulating your retirement plan with Led Zeppelin music. (1:53)
• Predicting the health of the 2021 economy through George Carlin’s double entendre. (3:22)
• How to protect your portfolio’s assets from the ‘Tale of Two Economies’ today. (7:31)
• How to calculate the true value of an investment (instead of trusting someone’s word). (16:41)

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

A good retirement plan is crucial. You don’t want to look at your balance sheet when you’re 67 and realize you’ll always need a side job.

But designing a plan that works is hard. Your goals, situation and family are unique. Someone else’s plan probably won’t work as well for you.

That’s why you need to design your own retirement plan. In this episode, you’ll discover the 3 considerations that enable a long, wealthy retirement.

Show Highlights Include:

• Lessons from a 116-year-old about having a long, healthy retirement (without running out of money). (1:52)
• What Proverbs 15:22 can teach you about finding a financial advisor who steers you towards an abundant retirement. (15:20)
• How understanding income distribution keeps you from running out of money in retirement. (16:13)
• How to leave your legacy assets to the right people (instead of handing it to Uncle Sam). (18:50)

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

2020 was the year of technology. Most of us jumped on Zoom, had food delivered at the door, and spent far too much time on Amazon. 

And while tech has dominated our day-to-day living, it also drove NASDAQ up 43% (which says a lot about technology’s role in the market today).

Planning your dream retirement starts with knowing where these fast-paced companies are heading and being mindful of their financial power in the future. 

In this episode, you’ll discover how to protect your retirement from fast-growing companies and preserve a plan in a tech-dominated future. 

Show Highlights Include:

• How to protect your investments from ‘tech storms’ and fast-paced markets. (2:32)
• The most common mix-up about stock index and stock exchange in your retirement planning today. (6:07)
• How to drive investments through an uncertain future (for finances that outlast Amazon’s replacement). (7:31)
• Why you need portfolio diversification in a tech-driven market. (11:18)
• Why you can’t map out the same retirement plan as your coworker (even if you have the same goals). (13:52)

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

Learning about the DROP program feels like information overload… They hand you a ton of resources, dates, and deadlines without any idea how they relate to your retirement goals. 

But knowing how DROP works is the only way to ensure a smooth transition from active duty to a stable retirement without money worries.

In this episode, you’ll discover how the DROP program helps you retire with a six-figure income and when to enroll for the most benefits in your retirement plan. 

Show Highlights Include:

• How to navigate through ‘information overload’ about DROP programs and find the forms that best fit your retirement plan. (1:46)
• How to retire with top-tier benefits and an executive’s salary through the DROP program. (4:00)
• The ‘Golden Handcuffs’ Plan that adds half a million dollars to your retirement savings (without charging you sky-high interest rates) (10:34)
• How to retire stress-free with the four steps of the DROP program (and what deadlines and fees to avoid along the way). (12:16)
• DROP entry dates are irrevocable and irreversible - here’s how to make sure you don’t miss out on DROP benefits. (20:05)

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.

When it comes to conversations about inflation, you might find yourself filled with fear and thinking the worst about your finances. But once you understand the breakdown of a dollar, it’s easy to keep up with the price changes (and even raise the value of your assets).

Understanding inflation not only brings peace of mind to your portfolio but prepares you to thrive in any economy. So when the dollar drops, your plan is oriented around income and growth (instead of fear and expenses).

In this episode, you’ll discover what inflation does to the dollar and how to design a retirement plan that thrives and survives in any economy.

Show Highlights Include:

• How to stay calmdrop the fear of inflation when prices are rising and start raising the value of your assets (so that a Cup of Joe doesn’t get too expensive for you). (1:39)
• How to survive any price changes with the ‘Sandwich’ analogy. (7:13)
• Why cash can get you trapped if you don’t pay attention to inflation rates - and the easiest way to avoid ‘walking up the down escalator’ in your retirement plan right now. (12:55)
• Why you should plan your retirement like a round of golf - and how to avoid the ‘headwind’ of inflation in a portfolio that embraces your best life. (17:23)

To schedule your free retirement tracking meeting, specifically for first responders, head to http://pensionattention.com/ or call us at 805-409-8150.